How Many Messages Apps Do You Need?

Beyond email, how many other ways can you send messages to other people? Well, for the Mac, iPhone, and iPad, there’s Messages, which doubles up as standard SMS text messaging from iPhone to other smartphones.

Beyond Messages, and, in approximate order of popularity, are these instant messaging apps– WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat, Skype, QQ, Snapchat, Viber, Line, Telegram, Signal, and then many, many others, a few of which work on macOS, too. Here are two more.

iPhone. Android. Desktop.

My wife and I own iPhones so we use Messages because it does text messages pretty much everywhere. But we also have Skype, FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and have dabbled with Line, Telegram, WeChat, and a few other– because all friends and family members are not created equal.

For moments of more intimate privacy, and just between the two of us and nobody else, we often use KakaoTalk because the alerts always show up on iPhone and Watch at the same time (something Messages does not). KakaoTalk is from Korea and works on Mac and Windows PCs, as well as iPhone and Android phones. The app is free and features messages, emoji, and voice and video calls.

KakaoTalk is kind of our personal messaging app. There are features we don’t use, including the chat rooms, and file sharing. We don’t care how secure it is because we don’t say anything worth tracking or hacking.

Toward the more secure end of the scale is Signal; a very secure instant messaging app that gets Whistleblower Edward Snowden’s seal of approval. Signal uses end-to-end encryption, works in groups as chat, and lets you share files online. And, yes, Signal does voice and video calls. It’s available for free for iPhone and Mac (Android and Windows, too).

Because Signal is open source and supported by grants and donations it may be the most secure instant messaging app, or, at least as secure as any other. I like that there are no ads and no trackers, plus there is an option to have messages disappear.

Does your Mac need yet another instant messaging app?

That’s a fair question to ask, though I suspect the vast majority of iPhone and Android smartphone users don’t care and use Messages and SMS text messaging and don’t worry about anything else. Criminals, hackers, government spooks, and Trump administration officials may prefer apps with stronger security.

Not all instant messaging platforms are created equal. Just look at Messages as a platform. Apple has perhaps 1-billion users on Messages and with Animoji, SMS text message capability, and high security– not to mention mostly seamless integration between devices– it’s not going away and for those of us who care, we now have to manage multiple messages applications.

Is that a sufficient price to pay for enhanced security and convenience?

I think so.

Wireless Whole House Audio

Airfoil streams any audio from your Mac to AirPlay, Bluetooth, and Chromecast hardware, all in sync. You can send any audio, anywhere. Get a free trial today!

How To Switch

About Jack Miller

I work for a US technology company in Paris, France and switched from Windows PCs to the Mac 20 years ago. My wife said it would improve our marriage, give us more friends, and reduce stress. I guess that two out of three isn't bad. Read more of my articles here.